The Modern Home Workshop

Info on Air Cleaners:

Concern with health has caused air cleaners to become increasingly
popular products in the US. According to the EPA, poor indoor air quality
is among the top five environmental risks. Some say that pollutants
in your home’s air can cause dizziness and headaches, and aggravate
allergies and asthma. In order to make your home’s air free of pollutants,
there are three steps you can take—remove the source of the problem,
ventilate the area, or clean the air. Remember that air cleaning alone can't adequately remove all of the pollutants typically found in indoor
air.

Also...

There are a few simple steps you can take to keep the air in your
home healthy to breathe:

Clean your home regularly

Store chemicals in tightly sealed containers and dispose of any
waste properly Control humidity and temperature

Monitor your home’s air through air testing

Hire an HVAC technician to make sure air-cleaning equipment and ducts are properly installed, sized, and sealed

Types of Air Cleaners:

There are a wide range of products available for helping to clean and regulate moisture levels in the air you breathe in your home. Unlike
traditional air filters on your heating system, air cleaners are designed
to filter out particles that are unseen by the human eye. These tiny
particles are easily inhaled and are believed to cause or irritate
health problems. Some air cleaners are designed to be installed in
ducts as part of a central heating or air-conditioning system and others
can be stand-alone units that are portable, working just in a concentrated
area of the home.

Above: Whole-house dehumidifier -- If excess
moisture is a problem in your home, you will benefit from ventilation and a dehumidifier. Shown here, the Humiditrol whole-home dehumidifier
system installs in the home’s existing duct system.

Above: Electronic air cleaner -- An electrical
field traps charged particles, preventing them from entering your
HVAC system. This air cleaner removes particles and bio-aerosols
down to 1 micron.

Above: Humidifier -- Indoor moisture levels
can be regulated by using a humidifier. This can enhance air quality and comfort. The model shown here works with most forced-air systems.

Above: Germicidal light -- One way to keep
air purified and surfaces clean and sterilized is with a germicidal
light. Using ultraviolet energy, it can quickly reduce concentrations
of airborne bio-aerosols.

Above: Filter -- Air filters remove particles
from the HVAC system as new air circulates into the unit. This air
filter removes particles and bio-aerosols down to 3 microns, and is easy to replace.

Above: Ventilation control system -- Gain
indoor air quality and increase comfort with a whole-house ventilation
system that automatically monitors the outdoor temperature and indoor
humidity levels.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Modern energy efficient windows, proper insulation, vapor barriers, and sealing all joints with caulk help reduce energy bills and increase
the efficiency of a house. The problem is that a house functions best
when it can still breathe. Houses need to be ventilated. Without proper
ventilation in a home, moisture and mold can become a problem. For
optimal comfort and health, experts say that the home’s relative humidity
levels should range between 35 and 50%. By maintaining this humidity
level, you may also be reducing the opportunity for mold and mildew
problems.

Want to know more about why air cleaners are
important health tools in today's polluted indoor-air environment?
Read our article:

I had previously assumed that protecting ourselves from air-pollution hazards was somewhat beyond our control. and while Weather.com, and a few similar sites, have some basic pollution-reporting features, they are not that great.

The U.S. government is rightfully stepping in to level the playing field with airnow.gov, an EPA project. While I'm not sure exactly how long the site has existed, this *topically-dedicated* government resource is functionally and informationally *way superior* to Weather.com and the like.

A particularly useful tool available on Airnow is EnviroFlash: "a free service that provides you with information about various environmental conditions. This service allows you to sign up to automatically receive customized environmental information. The following types of data are currently available:

EnviroFlash Air Quality

EnviroFlash Air Quality provides notifications about air quality action days as well as forecasts of air quality for the upcoming day(s), and allows you to select your level of air quality concern.

EnviroFlash UV Index

EnviroFlash UV Index provides notification of UV Alerts and the next day UV Index."

Unfortunately, this service is young and alert areas are still a bit sparse. But the service should mature in time.